Bottle filling and cleaning device



April 1941- P. R. FECHHEIMER 2,237,699

BOTTLE FILLING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1N 'ENTOR. P1101. R. F'ECHHEIMER.

ATTORNEYS'.

April 1941- P; R. FECHHEIMER 2. 37.699

BOTTLE FILLING AND CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o o i I I r 5 w g; 81 R77 5 i 67 5 -s9 53 98 INVENTOR. B104 1?. FEcHHE/MER.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 8, 1941 B-DTTLE FILLING AND CLEANING DEVICE Paul R. Fechheimer, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Karl Kicfer Machine Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 25, 1937, Serial No. 144,678

6 Claims.

My invention relates to combination mechanisms for the cleaning and filling of bottles or similar containers. In the practice of the invention the bottles are cleaned and filled in the upright position, and by means of a unitary mechanism whereby convenience in handling the bottles is greatly enhanced. The cleaning is preferably done by the process set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,880,257, in the name of Karl Kiefer, in which process a blast of dry gas is released in the bottles through a nozzle or spout extending below the shoulders thereof. The bottles are also filled in an upright position by the introduction of material into them through a suitable filling spout.

Bottle cleaning devices and bottle filling devices have both hitherto been employed in the art; but when it is attempted to combine the two functions in a single machine, a number of peculiar problems arise. The general objects of my invention concern themselves not only with the provision of a suitable combination mechanism, but with the solution of these peculiar problems, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

But it will be understood that the features of the invention hereinafter set forth and claimed are applicable to machines of widely varying capacity and design. I have chosen for the purpose of making an exemplary showing, a machine designed for the cleaning and filling of relatively small numbers of bottles. The machine is one in which the rows of bottles are aligned and moved by hand operated means. It

will be understood, of course, that mechanical means for these purposes may be applied and the capacity of the machine modified without affecting the invention to which this application relates.

, The general objects of my invention and the more specific ones which will be pointed out hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain structure and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiment. For clarity, reference is now made to the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the exemplary apparatus which I have chosen for the purpose of a disclosure of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial end elevation taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a valve mechanism, with parts shown in section, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the valve mechanism taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation showing the relationship of the cleaning and filling devices to the bottles and is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the particular embodiment of my machine herein described, there is a frame I0 which supports a table member ll. Clamping means I2 on the table support a standard l3. This standard may be of any type desired. I have shown it in the form of a rounded shaft provided with a key i l for purposes of alignment. A headed support it is clamped to the standard as at [6 and is provided with ways I! in which a tongue I8 is slidably mounted. This tongue is fastened to and supports a head [9 to which head the various filling and cleaning elements hereinafter to be described are mounted.

By reason of the construction hereinabove de scribed, the head is vertically slidable so that various. elements supported thereby can be brought into or out of operative relationship with bottles or similar containers resting upon the table.

Suitable aligning guide means are provided for the containers on or in connection with the table. These are made adjustable to permit the handling of containers of different sizes. In the chosen embodiment of my invention I have mounted members 20 and 2| slidably on the vertical faces of the table II. These members bear respectively a series of guide means 22 and 23 which may be in the form of rods or vanes, or any other suitable devices for confining the containers to single files and aligning these files with the filling and cleaning heads. It will be understood that the construction shown provides for the alignment of the containers in these respects, while permitting adjustment for varying widths of containers.

For the purpose of moving the bottles, I have shown a simple device comprising a pair of arms 2 and 25 pivoted to the table or fastened to a shaft 26 running through the table. Supplementary arms 21 and 28 are pivoted to the first mentioned arms and a rod or pusher device 29 is fastened to the ends of the supplementary arms. A fixed stop 30 is provided on the table, and the arm 24 has handle means 3| at its upper end. It will be understood that when bottles are placed upon the table between the guide means, and ahead of the rod 29, these bottles may be moved forwardly in transverse alignment by swinging the arm 24 in a clockwise direction.

In order to gauge the distance of movement and the positioning of the bottles, an adjustable stop 32 for the arm 24 is provided on the table. This particular feeding means is exemplary only of various feeding means, both hand operated and mechanical, which I may employ.

For the movement of the movable head I9, I have provided a convenient operating crank or lever 33. This is pivoted as at 34 to the movable head. A bell crank extension 35 on the lever 33 is connected by a link 36 to the fixed support 15. It will be clear that as the lever 33 is swung in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1, the movable head will be lowered. I preferably counterbalance the movable head by pivoting a lever 31 as at 38 on the fixed support, connecting one end of this lever by a link 39 to the movable head and providing on its other end an adjustable weight means 49.

The movable head may be made hollow in construction or provided with passageways for the material to be filled into the containers.

I have not particularly described the filling means to be employed in connection with my machine since any suitable filling means will be found available, such as is shown in Kiefer Patent No.'l,572,150 issued February 9, 1926. The filling may be done by introducing into each container a measured quantity of material, or it may be done by introducing material into the containers and providing for an overflow, as is understood in the art.

I have illustrated one form of centering means comprising a perforated strip 4| which may be mounted by means of rods 42 slidable in brackets 43,0n the. movable head I9, there being stop means on the ends of the rods 42 whereby these rods maybe lifted by the head. By this construction the centering means first comes into operative relationship with the bottles whereupon during a continued lowering of the movable'head I9, the filling means comes into play. I have shown a filling spout 44 and a centering bell 45 which may be suitably connected to overflow means. The filling spout 44 will be connected with the passageways in the head l9 or otherwise connected with supply -means 46 for the material to be filled into the containers.

Since the dimensions of different types of containers will vary in both horizontal directions, it is necessary to provide means for the adjustment of the cleaning mechanism with relation to the filling mechanism in the direction of movement of the containers. To this end I mount slotted brackets'4l and 48 on the movable head [9. Clamps 49 and 50 which are adjustable longitudinally of these brackets bear rods 5| and 52. Slidab-ly mounted upon these rods, and maintained on the'rods by nuts 53 and 54 is a vacuum head 55 of hollow box shape. This head is provided with centering bells 56 adapted to come into-operative relationship with the tops of bottles or other containers. The vacuum head may be connected with a vacuum pump 51 by means of a flexible conduit 53. Spout means 59, for the release ofa blast of dry gas in the containers, pass through the vacuum head 55 and the bells 56. For the most perfect cleaning these spouts are preferably connected with.a source of air under pressure. To accomplish this I have connected the various spouts by means of fittings 68 with an air pipe 6| clamped at its ends to the rods 5| and 52, as shown at 62 and 63. This pipeis connected, through valve means hereinafter to be'desc'ribed, with a source of air; and

for this purpose I have shown a flexible conduit 64. It will be clear that in the operation of this device, as the movable head I9 is lowered, the vacuum head 55 with its bells 55 first comes into operative relationship with the tops of bottles 65. Then during the continued lowering of the head 19, the vacuum head 55 remains in position, resting upon the tops of the bottles and sliding upon the rods 55 and 52. The continued lowering of the head l9, however, causes the spouts 59 to come down through the bells 55, enter the necks of the bottles, and pass below the shoulders thereof, which is essential in the dry gas cleaning of bottles in an upright position. It will be clear also that the mechanism is adjustable for bottles of diiferent heights by sliding the rods 54 and 52 in the clamp members 49 and 50 after these have been loosened. In the ways described, I have provided for the ready adjustment of the cleaning mechanism with relation to the filler mechanism in the direction of travel of the bottles, and have also provided for the ready adjustment of the cleaning elements vertically for bottles of difierent effective heights.

The filling cycle of bottles or other containers has a definite relationship in time to the size of the containers and the rate at which the material is fed thereto. This cycle is in all instances longer than the cleaning cycle. In the cleaning cycle when the spouts 59 pass below the necks of the bottles and the blast of dry gas is released therein, the dirt, sawdust, pieces of glass and chips or metal filings and packing material, which may be in the bottles as received, are blown upwardly and out of the bottles into the vacuum head 55, whence these materials are carried away through the vacuum pump 51. This all occurs in a very brief interval; and it is uneconomical and disadvantageous to continue the passage of air into the bottles after the cleaning has been accomplished. Yet, as has been indicated, the filling operation of necessity requires a relatively very great length of time.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide means which, while permitting the cleaning and filling .of bottles or other containers as simultaneous operations, will prevent the continuation of the cleaning operation for an undue, useless, and disadvantageous length of time. To this end I provide a valve mechanism, the function of which is to turn on the blast of dry gas when the cleaning head comes into the operative relationship with a series of containers, and which has the additional function of terminating the passage of dry gas into the bottles after a brief cleaning interval in spite of the time cycle of the filling operation. A suitable valve mechanism is indicated generally in Fig, 1 at 56. It is provided in this particular embodiment with an operating means 61 connected by a rod 68 or other suitable means with the lever 31. A lost motion connection is preferably provided. In the particular embodiment the rod passes through a perforation in a stud member 69 pivoted on the lever 37. The rod bears stop means 15 so that the rod may be lifted by the lever 31 after the lever has been moved a certain distance. Between the member 59 and a lower abutment means TI on the rod, I preferably provide a cushioning spring 12. The means 70 and H are adjustable on the rod 68.

The particular valve mechanism is illustrated in detail i nFigs. 3 and 4. Here a framework is provided comprising upper and lower, frame members I3 and 14 connected by rods 15 and 16.

This frame member will be supported in any suitable way, preferably, as showrnon the frame of the machine. The slidable operating member 61 ismounted in a suitable sleeve on bearing 11 on the upper frame member I3. A pair of oppositely disposed valves, indicated generally at 18 and I9, are mounted in the frame and are arranged to be actuated by a suitable means 80 on the operating means 61. While I am not limited to this particular type of valve, I shall describe a construction in which each valve comprises a sleeve member slidable upon a tube. A specific description of one of these valves is'all that is necessary, since the valves are identical, although so arranged that as one is closed the other will be opened. A tube 8| is closed off by a center partition 82 and is provided with perforations 83 and 84 on each side of this partition. A sleeve member 85 actuated by the member 88 is slidably mounted on the tube. tight sliding connection with the tube, preferably employing suitable gaskets 86, 81 and 88. Between the gaskets 86 and 88 the sleeve is hollowed out as at 89. The sleeve has a groove 98 which is engaged by the member 80. Observing the left hand valve member in Fig, 4, it will be seen that the valve is closed, for while the hollowed out portion 89 of the sleeve is in connection with the perforations 83, it is not in communication with the perforations 84. Referring O valve I8 is also connected by means of a conduit 93 to a pipe 94 mounted in bracket means 13a. on the frame of the device. The pipe 94 is adapted to deliver gas, derived from the conduit 9|, through the valve I8, to a valve indicated generally at 95, to the flexible conduit 84. The pipe 94 has inserted in it a needle valve 96 beyond its connection with the valve I8. Beyond this needle valve it is connected to the valve I9 by a conduit 91. The valve I9 has its other end open to the atmosphere as at 98 in Fig. 4. Still beyond the connection of the valve 91 to the pipe 94, this pipe is connected by means of a conduit 99 to a device I88. This device comprises a cylinder, as shown, having a piston I8I resiliently pressed by means of a spring I82 to the right in Fig. 3. The cylinder is mounted on the bracket 13a and a piston rod I83 passes through this bracket and is connected, as at I84, with a lever arm I05. The lever arm is pivoted, as at I86, to an extension I8I on the bracket 13a. At its other end the lever I05 bears a fork I08 which engages a groove I89 in the sleeve II8 of the valve 95. The construction of this valve will not need special description because it is essentially like that of valves I8 and I9. It will be understood that the valve 95 is controlled by the cylinder I80 through the mechanism hereinabove described, and that the spring I02 serves normally to keep this valve in open position.

In operation, when the lever 33 is swung downwardly the left hand end of the lever 31 raises the operating means 81 of this valve structure. This has the effect of closing valve I9 and opening valve I8. Air or other gas under pressure, therefore, passes from the conduit 9I through the valve I8, the conduit 93, the pipe 94 and the The sleeve has a fluidh valve 95 to the conduit 64, whence it goes to the cleaning head of the machine hereinabove described. A portion of the air so admitted to the pipe 94, however, passes through the needle valve 96, and the conduit 99, and gradually buildsup a pressure in the cylinder behind the piston I8I. The piston MI is, therefore, forced to the left and near the conclusion of its stroke closes the valve 95 through the lever I85. Thus after an interval the blast of gas is automatically shut off from the cleaning head of the machine. The duration of the interval can readily be controlled by adjustment of the needle valve 99. The closing off of the supply of gas to the cleaning head is something which can thus be determined as to time, quite irrespective of the time cycle of the filling mechanism, and occurs in spite of the up-raised condition of the operating device 61.

The use of the valve mechanism described, instead of a dash-pot valve or the like is advantageous for a number of reasons. The operation of the valves may be adjusted so as to be effected by the last small motion of the counterweight lever, i. e. when the blowing head is in its lowermost position. Thus premature and therefore ineffective action is prevented. There is in my structure greater accuracy of timing, also. -By using high pressure air effective through the needle valve on the cylinder device I88, the action is made much more positive and very much more accurate. Moreover, should there be a drop in line pressure, there will be a compensatory increase in the length of the cleaning cycle, thus insuring proper cleaning.

.At the conclusion of a filling cycle the arm 33 is raised, and the bottles move forward by actuation of the handle 3I so as to bring a freshseries of cleaned bottles beneath the filling head. It is necessary, of course, to reset the air valve apparatus for the next cleaning operation. This occurs automatically upon the raising of the lever 33 through the action of the valve I9. The lowering of the operating member 6! opens the valve I9, and therefore releases or exhausts the pressure built up in the cylinder I88, behind the piston I8I, to the atmosphere at 98. The spring I02, therefore, pushes the piston I8I to the right in Fig. 3 and opens the valve 95. This is the condition of the apparatus as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. In a combination, cleaning and filling device for containers, a support for containers, a vertically reciprocable filling head and a vertically reciprocable cleaning head, means for bringing said heads substantially simultaneously into operative relationship with containers, and means independent of said last mentioned means for terminating the cleaning operation after the passage of a predetermined length of time.

2. In a combination, filling and cleaning mechanism for containers, a support for containers, a vertically reciprocable member, a filling head and a cleaning head attached to said member, means for raising and lowering said member so as to bring said heads into operative relationship with containers, valve means connected with said raising and lowering means for admitting air for cleaning purposes to said cleaning head, and automatically operating valve means for shutting off said air irrespective of the position of said raising and lowering means.

3. In a combination, filling and cleaning mechanism for containers, a support for containers, a vertically reciprocable member, a filling head and a cleaning head attached to said member, means for raising and lowering said member so as to bring said heads into operative relationship with containers, valve means connected with said raising and lowering means for admitting air for cleaning purposes'to said cleaning head and automatically operating valve means for shutting off said air irrespective of the position of said raising and lowering means, one of said heads at least having a slidable mounting on said vertically reciprocable means whereby the distance between said heads may be adjusted for containers of different dimensions.

4. In combination, a device of the character described, a support for containers, means for confining said containers to individual files, a

vertically reciprocable means, cleaning and fillsaid supply of air, and automatically acting means for operating said second valve upon the passage of a predetermined length of time.

5. In a machine of the character described, a support for containers, a vertically reciprocable member, a filling head attached to said member, horizontal brackets on said member and a cleaning head slidably attached to said horizontal bracket-s whereby the distance between said fillin'g head and said cleaning head may be adjusted for containers of different dimensions, said slidable connection comprising clamping means, vertical rods adjustable in said clamping means, an air manifold adjustable on said vertical rods, cleaning spouts attached to said air manifold whereby by means of said rods the distance to which said cleaning spouts enter containers on the container support may be adjusted, and vacuum head means through which said cleaning spouts extend, slidably mounted on said rods, whereby upon lowering of said vertically reciprocable means said vacuum head will first contact the tops of containers and ride thereon after which said cleaning spouts will enter said containers during a further lowering of said vertically reciprocable means.

6. In combination in a container cleaning and filling mechanism, a table, adjustable guide means on said table for confining containers to single file, adjustable moving means for advancing said files of containers by predetermined distances, vertically reciprocable means, a filling head and a cleaning head attached to said vertically reciprocable means, means for varying the distance between said heads in the direction of movement of said containers to accommodate containers of difierent dimensions, means for raising and lowering said vertically reciprocable member, means in connection with the movement thereof for admitting a filling material to said filling head and for admitting air to said cleaning head, and means irrespective of said raising and lowering means for cutting oil the supply of air to said cleaning head after the passage of a predetermined interval of time.

PAUL R. FECHHEIMER. 

